Kiefer Sutherland says that the eighth season of 24 will be more grounded in reality, admitting that previous seasons have “been kind of far-fetched.” What? Nuclear bombs, running around the LA transit system with the fictional equivalent of Osama Bin Laden, and lets not forget those pesky Cougar/Amnesia trap subplots. Not real? No way…

Sutherland couldn’t reveal any plot details, but insists to Reuters that the story is “grounded in a political shift that’s taking place in the world,” and that it is “probably the most realistic thing we’ve ever done.”

Cherry Jones, who plays President Allison Taylor on the show, is a little more talkative, telling TV Guide that the next season will go global:

“It has to deal more with the state of the world—not just the state of us.”

Slumdog Millionaire villain Anil Kapoor play a Middle Eastern leader, (spoilers follow) which enters into a peace agreement with President Taylor, but assassins plan to bring Kapoor’s character down before the treaty can be signed. Last month it was revealed that the eighth season would be set a year-and-a-half to two years after Day 7 in New York City, and would include the reformation of , “more budget-conscious” CTU, complete with new leader. So far it sounds all good. Any guesses on the “realistic set-up” for the next season of 24?